Executive Stamina: How to Optimize Time, Energy, and Productivity to Achieve Peak Performance

by Marty Seldman

Increasingly, an expectation or implicit agreement is that managers and executives will be available at all times to their employers.

"The consequences of excessive stress are straightforward: physical illness, increase in healthcare costs, heightened turnover, loss of productive employees, and loss of collegiality."

In addition, there is often a strong reluctance to add head count until current employees are "coaxed out."

working many hours without the proper support, recovery time, or an effective stress management system is actually a risky endeavor. Thus, even with good intentions, executives may undermine their effectiveness, make career management mistakes, and detract from their personal goals and values.

"Your friends come and go, but your enemies accumulate."

If you ask people about their highest priorities and what they value the most, most will list their health, their commitment to a romantic partner, a desire to be a good parent, spiritual or religious values, personal principles, and so on.

The Law of Gradual Change states that most people do not notice slow deterioration or change and so fail to take timely corrective action.

In Executive Stamina, you will learn about two systems-Scheduling Minimums and the Shifts and Drifts Tracking System-that will help you prevent the Law of Gradual Change from impacting your business or personal life.

"Integrating their lives is one of the greatest challenges leaders face. To lead an integrated life you need to bring together the major elements of your personal life and professional life, including work, family, community, and friends so that you can be the same person in each environment."

easier to get a new job than it is to get a new family."

This enables him to take quick, simple, and timely actions to restore his equilibrium when necessary.

His philosophy is that if an executive can't leave for a week, it is a negative reflection on his or her leadership and delegation skills.

He finds time to do aerobic exercise and weight training several times a week, in spite of his 12-hour days and occasional weekend work.

being a mentor, advising a cross-functional team, writing an article or giving a speech for a trade organization, serving on an outside board, or even playing first base on the company softball team.

Remember, no bell will ring to remind you that you are neglecting this stated goal.

You may have a problem with procrastination. For example, executives may know that strategic thinking is vital for the success of their organization, or that becoming better at public speaking is very important for their careers, yet they still procrastinate about doing these activities. In Chapter 12, we will discuss how to overcome procrastination, which I have seen even at the CEO level.

overcommitted.

If being overcommitted is the reason why your schedule is not aligned with your priorities, then the systems you will learn in Chapter 3, "T...

Unintentionally, and often without awareness, you may be spending too much time on low-payoff, low-priority activities. There can be many reasons for this, ranging from not controlling your schedule, having a difficult time saying no, doing something you like to do vers...

Somewhere, I had lost contact with the high-performance aspects of life and replaced them with mediocre stand-ins. Instead of taking stairs two at a time, I took the elevator. Instead of relishing stimulating conversation over nutritious meals, I gobbled takeout

Procrastination about doing the record-keeping, investment analysis, or financial planning required.

Too many executives neglect one of the most important-monitoring change and understanding the implications of change. This happens both inside the organization and to customers and competition. In terms of our responsibility to our organizations and management of our careers, this must be a constant priority.

1. How can I maintain the romance in a relationship? Or how can I find the time and energy to find a romantic partner? 2. How can I maintain strong bonds and lines of communication with my children?